Obama and the leaders of France and Britain earlier on Friday published a joint newspaper article pledging to continue the military campaign until Gaddafi leaves power, effectively making regime change the officially-stated aim of their air war.

"I didn't expect that in three weeks, suddenly as a consequence of an air campaign, that Gaddafi would necessarily be gone," Obama said in an interview with the Associated Press.

He said the mission had succeeded in stopping large-scale civilian casualties, especially in the rebel-held city of Benghazi, and would eventually succeed in ousting Gaddafi.

"My expectation is that if we continue to apply that pressure and continue to protect civilians, which NATO is doing very capably, then I think over the long term Gaddafi will go and we will be successful."



"It is unthinkable that someone who has tried to massacre his own people can play a part in their future government," they wrote in the article, published on both sides of the Atlantic.

They acknowledged that their new goal of regime change went beyond the explicit terms of a U.N. Security Council resolution authorising force to protect civilians, but said Libyans would never be safe as long as Gaddafi remained in power.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the NATO allies were searching for ways to provide funds to the rebels, including helping them to sell oil from areas they control.

"The opposition needs a lot of assistance, on the organisational side, on the humanitarian side, and on the military side," she said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/15/libya-idUSLDE73D2EM20110415